Sunday Shows

Boehner on Earmarks: 'I've Got No Grease'

Asked on CNN’s State of the Union if he has been a successful leader, House Speaker John Boehner pointed to the elimination of earmarks in the legislative process as a key accomplishment.

“No earmarks. Who can imagine?” he said. “We've been through 16 months now, with not one earmark. It’s made my job a lot more difficult in terms of how to pass important legislation because there’s no grease. I've got no grease.”

He called the system “a more open process,” adding that, “One of my major goals is to rebuild this institution.”